The automation of both complex and simple tasks has improved the output quality of such tasks while also providing operator personnel with the ability to focus on other tasks requiring human intervention. However, some level of human intervention with the automation process is usually required. System bottlenecks occur within the automation process when a response to a request for human intervention is delayed.
Notification applications have been incorporated into automation networks to alert operator personnel that human intervention is needed within the automation process. Some types of notification applications include bells, sirens, speakers, whistles, flashing lights, process suspension or a combination thereof. Generally, these types of alarm applications require operator personnel to be nearby to respond to the alarm and maintain the automation system.
Other notification applications alert remotely located operator personnel to report to the automation network for intervention. These notification applications are triggered by a device monitored on the network. Simple messages such as e-mail are transmitted to notify operator personnel. More sophisticated notification systems initiate function blocks that are written in higher level languages, such a Java, to transmit e-mail for notifying operator personnel. However, the operative Java code is not transmitted to operator personnel. See European patent EP0875023 and German patents DE29600609.2 and DE29622133.3.
Control systems have been integrated with the Internet to facilitate communication between a monitored device and operator personnel. Web access communication is limited because operator personnel or a web browser triggers the communication as opposed to a controller or a monitored device. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,805,442, 5,975,737 and 5,982,362.
Although operator personnel do not have to be near the automation network, the number of acceptable remote locations are limited due to the simplistic format of the notification message and/or the limitations and requirements of the message receiver.
The present invention is provided to solve these and other problems.